IPhone 3G used's review (East Meets West Healing) 『Good start to understand Eastern and Western medicine. 5 stars for his background layout of those. However, he fails to do indexing at the end of the books. Such as page 17, when he refers to Robert Becker, "The Body Electric". no appendix, no index, no suggested reading whatsoever. I hope his next edition of this book will include those to become more professional readings.
As you many know, there are many QI Gong masters in this planet, some are faked , some are hunting for money, BUT some are real!! For more information about Qi theory and history, I guess those below books are good reference. Encounter With Qi, by Eisenberg Healing Promise of Qi, by Roger
For me, the real Qi-gong master who still living now is Lin Hou-Sheng, in Shanghai ,China. He himself is a chinese medicine doctor who proves lots of his works in scientific terms. His Tai Ji Qi Gong 18 movements of Lin Hou-Sheng is also great!! his English translated books "300 questions on Qigong" is excellent. You can try to do those exercises to get in touch with QI it's real but can not be explained with simple vocabulary.
Don't believe in anything about "Qi" , until you touch it with your own feeling!!』
(This book has inspired me!) 『This book is the best book I have ever read on the subject of QI Gong. I find the exercises easy to do and very beneficial to my health and everyday life. I highly recommend that everybody reads this book.』 『Here is a clear concise guide to Energetics, the science of the body's energy, or life force, whose ancient principles hold the key to every form of Eastern healing. The author explains the three tiers of human energy - physical, mental, and spiritual - and describes how to balance them for health and wellness.』
Kakaku：299 saved$2.99
Morning Light Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『
InInner Yoga,Sri Anirvan reveals the true substance of yoga. Anirvan, a lifelong scholar and practitioner, combines knowledge of tradition, experience derived from meditation, and great independence of mind to illuminate the heart of yogic teaching. He explains the eight limbs of Patanjala Yoga in the light of India's spiritual traditions and fills each chapter with insights on the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Gita drawn from a lifetime of study. This thoughtful book offers serious students new insight into the discipline of yoga.
Kakaku：164 saved$1.64
Boston Mills Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『
If you're sitting in your chair on the deck or dock, you're probably already in a relaxed frame of mind. But did you realize that you're only a short stretch from nirvana? This engaging little book guides you in the ancient art of yoga from the comfort of your chair. Whimsical two-color illustrations and humorous, easy-to-follow instructions lead the reader through stretching, strengthening and breath-control exercises en route to improved flexibility and relaxation. Yoga has proven beneficial in soothing the aches and pains of daily life, as well as for such ailments as depression and insomnia. A useful exercise guide and a delightful gift.
IPhone 3G used's review (I love this book) 『I've got Groves' other three books and this one is really great. Her instructions make sense, they're easy to implement, and she motivates me to make yoga a big part of my life. I didn't think much of yoga before I read this book. Now I'm sold on it. It's a fast read too, like her other books. The woman knows how to pack stuff in without overwhelming me.』
(Pratical Lifstyle guidance) 『This is a great book if you want to decrease stress and increase energy. Since I've been following Dawn's suggestions I feel more energetic and relaxed while increaseing productivity. I highly recommend this book!』
(Great introduction to Yoga) 『Ms. Groves does a marvelous job at introducing yoga to people in the the west.
Yoga is not for me per se. Qigong, and the idea of the meridians ring true for me (based on first hand experience), but if Yoga, and the idea of the chakras ring true for you by all means do something instead of being a couch potato.
My ONLY nitpick with this book is Ms. Groves assertion that if you only have time to do one cycle of "The Sun Salutation) that is enough.
I would recommend a *minimum* of 5-10 minutes of exercize to get the heart rate up. If you want a speedy (but intensive) workout that is still in the Yoga model of exercize check out the five exercizes in either of these books.
"The Ancient Secret Of The Fountain Of Youth" Peter Kelder
"The Five Tibetans" Christopher Kilham
Both books describes the same exercize regimen but calls them by two different names. This exercize regimen took me 6 minutes to complete the five exercizes.
Of the two books above; I suggest the Kilham material because he does a better job in describing the exercizes. Plus it teaches various meditations to keep the mind in shape.
Please E-Mail me if you have questions or comments about this review. Two Bears.
Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)』
(Extremely Practical!) 『I bought this book to be a companion to a Yoga videotape I use. While my videotape takes me through a simple yoga routine, it was not very specific about how to perform poses correctly. Yoga for Busy People says "How" step-by-step (with drawings), "Modifications If You Have Difficulty" step-by-step, and then "Remember" step-by-step. It has helped me understand how to prevent injury ("Don't overbend. This posture is meant to stretch the upper back, not the lower back. Keep your naval flat on the floor.") and also when and how to breathe while doing a pose.
VERY easy to understand! I looked at several books before finding this one. It seemed the others had helpful bits and pieces here and there, but Yoga for Busy People is completely practical and helpful all the way through.』
(This book is bigger than it's title. It's thorough!) 『I really enjoyed this book because it covers so much in such a tight package. I've taken yoga classes but I always dropped them. This book not only took me through a great series of postures, but it actually motivated me to keep doing them. I really got value from this book. It makes sense to me. The title may make it seem trendy or a little too "quick" but believe me, it's full. And I'd read anything else that Dawn Groves writes. I've met her personally and she practices what she preaches. Great stuff. Thanks.』 『Demonstrates quick exercises designed to improve general fitness and reduce stress.』
Kakaku：1695 saved$16.95
Satya House Publications
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Keep this book within reach) 『This is the kind of book that you want to keep nearby...when your perspective goes off a little and you're getting a little crazy, pretty much any one of the chapters will help get you back to basics. I really, really like this book. Thanks, Meghan.』
(Enlightenment for cubicle workers and anyone who feels busy) 『With wit, candor and down-to-earth wisdom, Megan McDonough relates the ancient philosophy of yoga to living in today's world of corporate nonsense, overloaded schedules and frantic to-do lists. Her book is full of anecdotes that gently and relevantly teach eternal lessons. If you are looking for ways to create some sanity and inner peace amidst a busy life, read Infinity in a Box. It will take you one reading to go from its beginning to its end, and a couple of readings before you will fully absorb its teachings. Highly recommended!』
(Sold!) 『Megan's book weighs in my hands and the pages turn like every other book of its kind I've read. -but a couple of pages in and I've let down my defenses. Meghan makes it easy to connect the dots between everyday life -and yoga philosophy.
The biggest compliment I think a book could get would be to want it always within reach - I like to keep Infinity in a Box at my work desk to remind me of all the rich possibilities my life contains if I'll just apply a little mindfulness.』
(Uplifting) 『Megan's words flow with EASE. She provides a boost to those of us that need a little more spiritual development. Thank you,Megan,for improving my focus on how (not who or what) I want to be in this world.』
(How to apply yoga to everyday life) 『Megan McDonough shows the depth of her experience with yoga and with life. She applies this experience to workplace and other challenges in a way that can make a difference for people on a daily basis.』 『Find Infinity Within Yourself.
Life can feel constricting. With family responsibilities, work demands and daily obligations, there is little time to take a breather. In Infinity in a Box, business yogini Megan McDonough shares a simple yet powerful four-step approach to working and living with ease. Weaving introspective Yogic philosophy into the pragmatic demands of a hectic twenty-first century day, Infinity shows corporate executives and stay-at-home Moms alike the importance of valuing each moment of life.
You will discover how to:
--Uncover hidden assumptions that limit opportunities. --Develop a creative, flexible mind able to see new perspectives. --Use breathing techniques to live more fully in the present moment. --Apply Yoga philosophy daily, in a simple and easy way.』
Kakaku：527 saved$5.27
Rodmell Press
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Take your practice to another level) 『This is really a great book for students with some background in yoga. Each chapter begins with a discussion of the part(s) of the body that will be the focus of the chapter and then moves you through asana with a focus on exploring the topic more fully. I am what I would call an "advanced beginner" with about 3 years of yoga (2 years of Iyengar) experience and I really can say this approach has put my practice into another level. That is, it has moved me past just thinking about the current asana or a "canned" sequence to a point where I can start really understanding how things carry through various asana (or put another way, how the different asana are each windows to many themes). I have only had the book a few weeks, but have already read several of the chapters multiple times.
My only cavaet would be that a real beginner is likely to find this approach overwhelming. For those individuals, I would suggest some of Judith Lasater's books (I found her 30 poses for beginners useful and still refer back to it after most classes).』
(Review: YOGA Awakening the Inner Body) 『This is a wonderful reference book. It is rich in detail, stressing not only verbally how to set up and execute the poses, but also it provides extensive visual imagery showing the proper alignment of the body. Several of the drawings look like they were lifted right out of "Gray's Anatomy" in order to make very clear how the body is impacted by specific movements. The prose, the photographs and the drawings are all connected in such a way as to give the reader a great deal of practical,down to earth advice, at once scholarly and accessible. The book is also aesthetically beautiful, a work that is both art and craft.』
(Lots of depth - a book to grow with) 『I've been puttering around with Moyer's book for a few sessions. Its rich material - alot of somatic food and food for thought. I'm a comparative neophyte but I know enough to know that this is how I want to practice yoga - with deep awareness, from the inside. This is the best of the Iyengar tradition - innovative, complex, deeply satisfying.』
(An essential book for anyone interested in yoga.) 『I am so grateful for this book. Donald is based in Berkeley, CA, at his studio, the Yoga Room and only occasionally makes it to the East Coast, where I live. This book is the next best thing to taking class with this extraordinary teacher. Donald was among the first of the current generation of teachers in the Iyengar Tradition to go to India and study with the Master. His sweet and uplifting nature permeates his style of teaching. His teachings are uncompromisingly sophisticated, but come from a place of enthusiasm and playfulness. He gives instruction designed to help you understand where your body fits in the great range of human variety and to help you work in such a way as to make the poses benefit your body and your situation. The same is true for his book.
Arranged in two sections, the first gives detailed instruction on Head Stand and Shoulder Stand, the two cornerstones of the Iyengar tradition, with their profound healing and meditative effects. In both poses he looks at the basic arrangement of the body and talks about how individuals may vary and what should be done in order to allow for those variations. He gives numerous prop modifications for the reader to adjust the poses to their bodies so that they may work in them safely and efficiently. For those who are not ready for the pose, he also provides alternative that, over time, will prepare the reader for the main pose itself.
In the second section he presents six different practice sequences addressing specific parts of the trunk and upper body. (He is hoping to follow this book up with a second volume dealing with the lower body.) The level of detail in these practices is remarkable. A basic sequence is presented for each which, depending on your familiarity with the poses, could take between an hour and 90 minutes to complete. He also provides many different related poses to flesh out each practice. The result is a vast number of variations possible with each chapter, depending on which kinds of poses the reader might wish to focus on. There is enough material here to keep even the most advanced practitioner busy for many, many months.
The most impressive aspect of this book is the level of detail. The market is riddled with introductory and beginner books. Even in the case of "Light on Yoga," by B. K. S. Iyengar, though it may feature extremely advanced poses, the actual instruction of how to work with the poses is minimal in comparison with Donald's book. I've only been using the book for a few weeks and I find that my understanding has deepened and my ability to perform the poses has improved immensely. This is an excellent and essential addition to anyone's yoga library.』 『
Written by an author who has practiced Iyengar-style yoga since 1971, and who studied it with B. K. S. Iyengar himself,Yoga: Awakening the Inner Bodyis a thorough, up-to-date resource for students and teachers. Using questions such as "Do you have sloping shoulders or square-set shoulders?" and "Are the muscles at the back of your upper arms weak?" the book allows readers to tailor the instruction to fit their needs. Eight chapters cover everything from balancing the sternum to aligning the shoulder blades to exploring the relationship among the collarbone, kidneys, and groin. The book also features an introduction in which the author defines the inner body and the various stages of awakening and gives suggestions for using the book.
IPhone 3G used's review (This woman has no business giving health advice) 『There are a number of things wrong with this book, but the most glaring are her attempts at advising parents on the health of their child. Everyone who bothers to learn about childhood health on any level should be aware that giving young infants water is a bad idea. It messes with their electrolyte levels. She advises mothers to do so anyway. She also (in a hilarious attempt to address a concerned parent who feels that her child eats too much) tells mothers to thump the bottoms of the feet to get a child to eat every drop of milk possible. So wrong. That's a technique to make a child gasp and start breathing in the event of apnea.
She also takes a really narrow and negative approach toward fathers. One would think if you're enlightened enough to be doing yoga, you'd be enlightened enough to find a mate who participates in childcare without needing to be wheedled and cajoled into it.
Save your money on this one.』
(A Great New Baby Gift) 『I have given this book to new moms in my life and they have loved the book, the spirit of the text, the helpful photos and clear instruction. This book is excellent for new mothers with or without yoga experience. As a certified yoga teacher, I highly recommend it!』
(Disappointing) 『This book offered a great deal of information that was intellectually interesting. For the new Mom looking for a way to incorporate yoga into her life with a new baby it this is not the book.』
(Time consuming) 『If you just had a baby you obviously want the best for your new one. So babyyoga is one of the things you try. And it does work. But not with this book. You will never actually get started with babyyoga as this book is too difficult to handle for a beginner. There are no pictures of the actual moves so you have to read the whole thing. And tell me, which mother has extra time on their hands to read a yogabook from cover to cover?』
(A Wonderful Concept.) 『YOGABABY by DeAnsin Goodson Parker, Ph.D. with Karen W. Bressler, Broadway Books, 2000.
This book and this concept will surely be an inspiration to many mothers and those hands on fathers who want to make sure their baby gets off to the best possible start. I have not seen anything like it before. It is especially valuable in light of the mounting research indicating that the quality of the mother's physical and emotional interaction with infants has profound, life long effects on the mental, emotional and physical development of the child.
Dr. Parker, a psychologist and psychoanalyst, realized the book was needed because of the response she recieved from the YogaBaby program she has offered for years at the Goodson Parker Wellness Center in New York City. This a truly innovative, psychologically insightful, beautifully written and illustrated work. Dr. Parker shows how to use both ancient and modern strategies including massage, stretching, exercises and purposeful playing in order to bring about a deeper bonding while nurturing and awakening eight 'centers' in the baby.
Although, the book focuses primarily on the first two years it is reasonable to expect the benefits will last a lifetime and would include but not be limited to the creation of special time and a high order of communication fostering more trust and confidence, stimulating the immune system, promoting better sleep (possibly for the mother as well), aiding in digestion and assimilation, stimulating body circulation, encouraging neuromuscular development, preparing the baby for mobility, calming the emotions, soothing the baby, teaching the baby a way to soothe itself.
Although, the book is dedicated to first time mothers, as the oldest of nine with twenty six grandchildren, nephews and nieces I feel it offers wonderful insights regardless of how many children the mother has had. Reading this book as a man I was reminded how sublime and inexpressibly incredible is our debt to mothers who make baby nurturing an art form of the highest order.
R. Adam Crane, president American BioTec Corp., founder Health Training Seminars, author of MindFitness Training: Neurofeedback and The Process.』
『A Whole New Way to Bond with Your Baby!
As a new parent, you are probably anxious about bonding with your baby. InYoga Baby, you'll find a stress-free way to begin a healthy lifelong relationship between the two of you. Yoga BabyTM methods range from deep relaxation massage to postures enhancing specific developmental stages for your baby. Exercises are designed for newborns through two-year-olds to do with their mothers and caregivers, and they do not require previous yoga experience. While you give your baby a head start in sound emotional and physical learning, you and your baby will lay a solid foundation for a lifetime of learning and bonding together.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Understanding of others rooted in and interwoven with an understanding of self) 『Many 10 to 15 year practitioners of Iyengar Yoga categorize themselves as "rank beginners." What many Western students have to learn is that the practice of Yoga demands humility. There are cultural distinctions so foreign to the way in which we learn in the West, that one has to be open. Under a gifted and disciplined teacher, requirements include a deep surrender of the self. Kadetsky's study of the Iyengar's and her effort to delve into the richly complex background of Yoga in India are hampered by her own obstacles regarding self-understanding, humility and a surrender to discipline. She has skills of research, of following leads toward interesting discoveries in the evolution of Iyengar Yoga and the gradual refinement of the Iyengar family's present school and method. But, one reads this text feeling that she fails to see (or partially perceives) what some can gather from what she does not finish, from where she does not go. Her written experience is like watching someone encounter a breathlessly beautiful rose, which holds up the whole universe, inside and out, to the viewer. You can feel that she is drawn, entranced, yet torn by conflicting, unresolved problems of the self. She loves the beauty she experiences - even though eyes may be color-blind and the fragrance is barely registered. She knows this and exposes her limitations to all: as Iyengar pushes this realization into her, fully extending her into pashimotanasana - "the pose of the West."』
(enlightening) 『I will most likely never travel to India. But, as a student of yoga, I was able to catch a glimpse of what a western yoga practitioner might expect and ultimately experience in India. Having read and studied about Iyengar, Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois as yoga icons, it was fascinating to read of them as humans and sometimes tyrrants/rivals. Kadetsky's personal story lingered in the background...oozed out as honey from between the printed lines. I enjoyed the imagery and the human quality that Kadetsky imparted the reader.
Surprisingly, after the read, I felt new inspiration for my personal yoga practice. I am so grateful for the masters that have given us a sense of history, but am overjoyed that the practice ultimately becomes our own. Kadetsky illustrated that wonderfully.』
(excellent history of recent yoga developments) 『excellent exploration of the history of hatha yoga, with emphasis on the 20th century, and the author's own experiences. Fascinating - I could not put it down.』
(A great read for anyone interested in a personal yoga story) 『I would recommend this book to anyone interested in yoga. A wonderful memoir which includes some interesting highlights of the history of physical yoga.』
(New Light on Yoga) 『First There is a Mountain, by Elizabeth Kandetsky, Reviewed by Malcolm McLean, RYT
Here is a powerful tale of a yogi's quest for truth - the truth of her own life, revealed in her own body, accessed and then uplifted though yoga. The truth of her guru BKS Iyengar, clouded in legend and rivalries, and here pierced with the eye of a conscientious journalist. She has woven a rich tapestry from the threads of her own life, her yoga practice and experience with Iyengar, and the story of yoga.
Kandetsky paints an intimate and candid portrait of life at the Iyengar school in Pune. She describes the tremendous power of yoga practice in this setting, as it worked on her own life at every level. She does not flinch from showing the tyrannical, often capricious attitudes of Iyengar and his daughter Geeta, and son Prashant. She shines light on the petty rivalries between Iyengar and other great yoga masters, on their roots in nationalism and other struggles for patronage and prestige. She investigates the origins of yoga, and raises sincere doubts about the legends of its antiquity.
From this clarity of unrelenting objectivity combined with the understanding in her own cells, she offers a powerful validation of yoga. Despite the contradictions and falsehoods around yoga, she shows how it meets her needs -- and the different needs in India and the West, as it continues to grow, mutate, and reach millions of people.
Towards the end of the book, she describes her last class with the master -- after she had admitted learning another system - the Ashtanga system of Pattabhi Jois, his lifelong rival. She was challenged to perform the scorned series in front of Iyengar, who nevertheless could not resist, as she went along through the despised "jumpings", teaching it to her as he saw it might be done. She described the experience as a great healing of her own sense of fragmentation, as a child of divorce and family rivalry, knowing that her great teacher still loved her even though she had, as one person put it "danced with another and then told him he liked it."
I remembered the highly criticized error of placing my hand alongside the foot in triangle (Iyengar style) rather than grasping the big toe in Ashtanga class. Or breathing ujjayi in good Asthanga style, to the complaint of an imperious workshop leader, about "this business of breathing like a horse!"
Yoga, like every other human endeavour, shares the human attribute of yawning political divides, insufficiency of otherness.
Though I have never met him, I thought of how BKS Iyengar had cast his light and his attitudes into my life, since 1986, through teachers who learned from him directly, or indirectly. Now, thanks to this lucid and powerful book, I feel privileged to know Iyengar more deeply than I ever thought possible. 』 『First There Is A Mountain is a tale of spiritual longing that brought a young American woman to the yoga institute of the renowned B.K.S. lyengar, the man who introduced yoga to a Western audience. Once there, She became a wayward protegee of this mercurial and demanding teacher, piecing together his life's vision of the ancient Hindu practice and finding her place within yoga as a Western aspirant. In the damp, musty practice rooms as the institute, her exhausted body hanging from ropes or propped up by wooden blocks, she found a spiritual discipline unlike any other. Under lyengar's tutelage Kadetsky learns the "subtle wisdom" of the body, leaving behind a discordant childhood and starvation diets to discover a kind of peace.』
Kakaku：2995 saved$29.95
Inner Traditions
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Good General Reference) 『The previous reviewers are far to hard on this book. There are a lot of interesting facts and images here that you won't find all in one place anywhere else. I could easily spend an hour or more jumping around to the different cross references that are provided with each entry. Within each entry he points the reader to other entries within the book by placing a asterisk beside the word. This denotes that you can find the entry listed separately in another location. All entries are alphabetical so finding things is no problem at all. Do you know what a Shiela-na-gig is? Or, how the Taoists viewed female sexual secretions? You'll learn this and more if you get this book. The bibliography is quite extensive and you'll get many ideas from there. Make sure to place a little mark beside them, because there are so many references, you won't remember which one you liked. If you get this used, you can't go wrong!』
(It's alright) 『It seems like it serves its purpose as a quick reference, but many of the entries are openly biased (i.e., male circumcision). I think anything by the title 'encyclopedia' should be able to deliver information without an agenda.』
(Great pictures; questionable research) 『There is one really good reason to get this book: the pictures. Almost 50% of the pages have coloar photographs of primarily Eastern art. However, pictures aside, Camphausen states his goals early in the book then does not see them through as well as he could. While there are many rare facts covered there are also very commonly known terms, deities, and objects included. Most terms do not have references so we can't tell where the information was found. The bibliography is done well but without references how can one truly do extra research? The index is completely worthless because it just lists things under general categories but not the pages they appear on; yes, the terms are alphabetically done but really, is putting a page number too much to ask? So if you want some great pictures, this is a good way to get them. Luckily the price is good just for the pictures themselves.』
(interesting book, but.....) 『Although this is an interesting book, it contains only heterosexual entries and articles. Therefore, I think it is better that the title of the book should be changed into "The Encyclopedia of Sacred Heterosexuality".』 『Revised and Expanded Edition ofThe Encyclopedia of Erotic Wisdom
This comprehensive reference book, lavishly illustrated and extensively cross-referenced, encompasses all eras and cultures in exploring the meaning of sexuality
• Updated and expanded with over 150 new or revised entries, along with a vast array of new color illustrations
• Contains the most recent scientific knowledge of the brain, mind, and body as it relates to the erotic and sexual
• An exceptional reference--including Internet resources--that explores the farthest reaches of this fascinating subject
• Over 25,000 copies of the first edition sold
This fully updated and expanded edition ofThe Encyclopedia of Erotic Wisdomcontains more than 1,200 entries--150 of which are either new additions or were extensively revised for this edition--and a vast array of new illustrations, many in full color, from the author's recent travels to the Far East. The encyclopedia explains how to integrate body and mind, love and sexuality, and spiritual exercise and inner alchemical techniques in the practice of sacred sexuality. It also contains the most recent scientific knowledge of the brain, mind, and body as it relates to the erotic and sexual. Extensive cross references, quotations from sacred erotic scriptures, Internet resources, and 28 indexes to related topics within the book take the reader on an odyssey from almost any point of departure to the farthest reaches of this fascinating subject.
Kakaku：374 saved$3.74
Inner Traditions
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Meditating with the Body-Mind: a Great Gesture) 『I have been delighted with several of Will Johnson's books, and I have found this one to be the most profound and challenging of his works. Traditional students of Vajrayana Mahamudra teaching might take issue with his application of these teachings to ideas involving the body-mind in a method that has been variously described as somatic psychology or somatheraputic methodology. Tibetan Buddhism doesn't actually teach very much with regard to the nature of the physical body. Mostly the body is simply taken as the vehicle that allows one to experience karma in the form of physical sensations or emotional sensations. Meditation in this tradition mostly considers the body as an impediment to be transcended.
On the other hand if one practices the Chinese form of Yoga called Qigong or Taiji you can experience a vast range of meditative practices that take the body and its internal energies as their object. As a teacher of these Chinese practices I yearned for a meditative method that was as mentally deep and transformative as Tibetan Buddhist curricula while still taking the body as an object of focus. The first time that I read a translation of Tilopa's millennium old instructions for Mahamudra practice, I was taken by how much it sounded like the primary instruction that I give my taiji students. However, I was still at a loss for a practical method for implementing these mind instructions for a physical practice.
When I found this text I had at least one good approach to solving this dilemma. The second half of this book contains exercises that are physical embodiments of contemplating the philosophical explanations in the first half. Will Johnson terms these "Somatic Koans" in reference to the famous koan riddles of Zen Buddhism. If one practices these physical riddles the body will hopefully discover that the answers, or rather the un-answers to the problem of the body. I will give the "pith" description of the first Koan as and example. "Stand as tall as you possibly can while remaining as relaxed as you possibly can". These contemplations are as intellectually impenetrable as their famous purely mental progenitors, and if you give them the same time and diligence, they have the same potential to liberate your mind.
I would recommend this book highly to everyone, but especially anyone interested in body oriented or moving meditation. Dancers, runners and internal martial artist will find questions to the answers their body has been whispering with every wave of pleasure that occurs inside the magic moments when everything flows. 』
(Not much Mahamudra here) 『There are a number of good exercises (posture&breathing--though holding the breath for healing etc. is discounted)&wise observations (the value of balance&mindfulness meditation) in this book, but mostly it depicts the author's personal, impressionistic path. It includes Tilopa's famous&wonderful Mahamudra (MM) Song as an appendix, however, the book is not a commentary on it. The author u
